Stole My Heart
by koriandrgirl
Summary: If I was just the petty thief. . . then why did he steal my heart? A Sokka x OC or Sokkaxoc love story. This story follows the plot of the cartoon with my awesome original character thrown into the mix.
1. OC Information

**NAME:** Terezi

**AGE:** 15

**LOOKS:** _ridiculously _long dark brown hair kept in plaits; dark caramel skin; violet eyes; purple face paint; small, lithe build

**PERSONALITY: **sarcastic; funny; clever; quick-witted; carefree; independent; sassy; strong-willed; determined; a trouble-maker; mischievous; sneaky; speaks her mind; defiant

**ABILITIES:** non-bender; skilled with swords; acrobatic; flexible; speedy; chi-blocker

**BIOGRAPHY: **Terezi was born an orphan and given to the circus as an infant through some illegal foster housing business. She was the best acrobat in the whole troupe, but above all else she was happy there. She had a family, even if they weren't directly related to her. Everything went well - until _It _happened. One stormy night, the circus tent was raided by a Fire Nation squadron. They attacked, viciously looting and burning everything in sight. She was only ten, but Terezi felt like she had to help. This was her family! She ran up to the nearest soldier - and that's when she blacked out.

When she came to, everything around her was burned, unconscious firebenders littered the ground. Her family was huddled in the corner, hiding away from her in fear. They ordered her to stay away, fearing she would "take their bending." In that moment Terezi learned two things.

1. She could depend only on herself in this world  
2. She was a chi-blocker; and a strong one at that

She ran away that day, an outcast of outcasts. She finally stopped running when she made it to the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu.

She'd lost everything before.

Now she was determined to have it all.


	2. Stupid

**TEREZI'S POV**

I smirked as I exited the tea shop, the scent of tea leaves being left behind me. I walked away swiftly, my casual demeanor a practiced mask. As usual, the street was flooded with people hustling and bustling all over. A few people did double-takes when they saw me. They'd hold their valuables closer to their bodies and even avert their children's eyes.

I was used to it by now.

_It shouldn't be too much longer now. . . _I thought faintly. _They're are all so predictable._

3. . . 2. . . 1. . .

Then I heard it. The familiar tinkling of the bell above the tea shop's door signaling it being opened.

"Hey! Thief! Somebody stop that girl! Thief!"

My smirk transformed into a full out grin, and I broke into a sprint.

_Shopkeepers are so stupid._

I weaved between the crowd effortlessly, my trained eyes darting back and forth across all parts of my vision. Two exceedingly fat men suddenly came into view, trying to block my way on the already narrow path. Judging by his stained apron and meat cleaver, the one on the left was either a butcher or a serial killer. The other was obviously a fish merchant - and he smelled like it, too.

"That's the last time you steal from us!" The fish merchant boomed.

I rolled my eyes and continued running full speed right towards them. Just before collision, I kicked dirt up into their faces and momentarily blinded them. I slid between the wider one's legs and popped up behind them before they even knew a thing. I looked over my shoulder as I ran, amused at the bewildered expressions on their faces. I stuck my tongue out at the two big apes, laughing all the way.

_Fat people are so stupid._

I glanced over my shoulder, and my eyes opened to see a small mob of shopkeeper people chasing after me, brandishing anything from clubs to sausage links. They yelled obscenities and death threats as they pursued me.

_What is this?! Shopkeepers United?! Since when were they working together?!_

But it didn't matter. There could be ten of them or ten thousand of them. They'd never catch me. I was just too fast, smart, young, awesome. . . the list goes on and on.

I laughed maniacally as I rounded the corner.

I leapt onto a nearby cabbage cart, scattering the green vegetables onto the dusty ground before bounding on top of countless other carts and shop stalls. As I made my daring escape, I heard someone let loose a devastated cry.

"MY CABBAGES!"

My laughter echoed throughout the land, and I hopped down to level ground once more. I'd lost the angry mob for the time being, but I continued to sprint through the crowded streets.

I dashed around another corner and ran smack dab into someone.

"Oof!"

I gasped as my stolen coins flew out of my sleeves and tumbled through the air, glittering in the mid-afternoon sunlight. I glanced over my shoulder in panic, fearing the crowd would be upon me any second.

"Sorry." I heard a voice say. "Are you okay?"

I turned back around to see a boy who looked to be about my age. He had caramel colored skin, and his hair was cut and tied in traditional Water Tribe fashion. He even wore thick blue clothes with fur that just screamed Water Tribe.

I grinned.

_Tourists are SO stupid._

I could scam this kid before he even had time to cry "Mommy!"

I heard the hoots and hollers of the mob closing in and quickly snapped back to reality.

The boy's eyes flickered from the shiny coins on the ground to me and back again.

His blue eyes widened. "Did you steal that?" It was then that I realized he had a firm grasp on my wrist.

I attempted to yank my arm free, but he held me fast.

"Did you steal that?" He repeated firmly.

I heard a yell from the angry mob. "There she is!"

_They've spotted me!_

I only had about a minute until they'd be here - and who knows what they'd do to me once they got me. Probably beat me senseless with a sausage stick until I permanently smelled like meat, then haul me off to jail for life.

I glared at the boy and hissed, "Let me go."

Instead of humoring me with another repeated rhetorical question, he turned and called over his shoulder.

"Aang! Katara!" he cried urgently. "Come quick! A thief!"

At his yelling, numerous people turned around and shot me odd looks. Some hurried off - probably to call the authorities!

_Time to end this._

"So you wanna cause a scene?" I said through gritted teeth. "I can cause a scene!"

I brought back my left foot and kicked it straight up into the air, hitting him hard in the chin. He yelped and let go of me, instead moving his hands to his new injury.

I scooped up as many coins as I could and took off. Just before tearing around the corner, I glanced at the boy whimpering about his little wound.

"You're welcome!" I spat, then promptly disappeared in the chaos of the surging crowd.

_Ugh! _I grumbled to myself. _Boys are so stupid._


	3. Wild Ones

**TEREZI'S POV**

I ducked behind a bunch of crates to catch my breath.

_I'm getting tired of this city. . . I'm running out of people to rob._

I turned to get up, but then quickly dropped back down in hiding.

_It's that Water Tribe boy again! _I felt my eyes narrowing.

He was walking with some Water Tribe girl who looked a bit younger than me. There was another younger boy with them wearing red and yellow clothes I didn't recognize to be from any tribe. He also had on a bunch of white animal fur on his head and face like some stupid wig and mustache. He held a long cane and walked with a hunch.

I rolled my eyes. _Of course a moron like him would have idiot friends to match._

The boy I kicked earlier was talking to the younger ones, animatedly recalling his meeting with me. I caught snatches of their conversation of which I had minimal interest.

"A girl. . . Stolen coins. . . Kicked me!. . ."

I saw the other two laugh at his tale, and I found myself watching them with great interest. My curiosity got the best of me, and I trailed them while staying in the shadows.

I watched them ogling at the enormity of the city. They were fascinated by the Omashu delivery system controlled by the earthbenders, and the boy with the fake mustache explained it knowingly.

"Great, so they get their mail on time." The Water Tribe boy said sarcastically.

"They do get their mail on time." The smaller boy said. "But my friend Bumi found a better use for these chutes."

My ears perked up.

_Did he just say Bumi? As in King Bumi?!_

If those dunderheads knew King Bumi personally, then they must be, like, Water Tribe royalty or something! Or at least filthy rich.

My mouth watered, as I imagined swimming in all that loot. A devilish grin spread across my face as I watched my three moneybags stroll towards upper Omashu.

They looked like they were headed towards that crazy old king's castle. I'd wait until they came out of the castle and then rob them blind! It was a foolproof plan! Imagine how much money they had! Those clothes were probably just a disguise so they wouldn't get mugged, but I saw through their clever rouse! Man, I am _such _a genius! After this little job, I'd be set for life! I could-

I snapped out of my money induced coma when I realized I had lost sight of my three tickets to wealth. I looked around wildly until I spotted them at the top of one of the mail chutes. They sat in one of the earth mail carts, teetering over the edge of one of the slides.

My jaw dropped. _They weren't-_

And then they shot forward, zipping down the slope.

_They were._

I could hear the girl's scream from all the way over here as I watched their rapid descent.

"Hey!" I cried, suddenly leaping up. "Get back here with my money!"

I leapt onto the rooftops of the stone houses, furiously moving to run alongside them. I bounded from house to house making virtually no sound, all the while keeping my sight on the three kids. A second chute sidled up beside them, carrying dangerous, pointy weapons. I gasped and willed myself to go faster.

Then something unexpected happened.

The boy wearing the fake mustache suddenly jerked their cart, sending it flying off the chute and through the air .

I stopped in my tracks and gaped as they flew over my head. They crashed onto a rooftop, but didn't slow down. Their wild screams filled the air as they plummeted down rooftops. I quickly chased after them, following their path of destruction. My eyes glanced ahead, and I nearly tripped and fell into a painful abyss from my shock.

Just ahead was a small squadron of guards being briefed about something or other.

And the runaway mail cart was headed straight for them.

The kids plunged right between them, then ricocheted right back out so fast the guards didn't know what to do. I laughed at their surprised faces and gracefully hopped on their heads as I followed the stone cart.

They crashed through a passageway for more mail carts, destroying some stone barriers that made it easier for me to pursue them. The three flew over another house before catching another downward sloping chute to ride on. I sprinted on the rooftops making sure to stay parallel with their movements.

The girl screamed something to Mr. Mustache that I couldn't quite make out, but he nodded his head as if in agreement.

He whipped his arms back, and the cart rocketed downhill even faster.

_He must be an earthbender._

My eyes darted ahead. There was a dead end where the earthbending guards would bring up mail and send it off in different directions. I looked back to the kids in the cart. They screamed and crashed right into it, flying off the side where they would surely die.

_My money. . ._ I thought sadly.

Then the impossible happened.

As the three were falling to their imminent death, Mr. Mustache whipped around in mid air. Some sort of breeze or current or _some _stroke of luck must've come their way because their mail cart flipped over, and they all landed in it safely. They crashed onto another rooftop and slid off, continuing their endless journey southward.

To my astonishment, they crashed into the pottery shop and burst out the other side. I laughed and immediately plunged through the newly made hole in the wall, appearing out the other end. The trio crashed through another house smacking into a wall and falling straight down.

I saw a puff of sand come up and quickly peered over the wall, choosing to stay in the shadows.

I looked down to see they'd fallen right on top of a cabbage cart, crushing the round veggies beneath them. The kids lay in an exhausted heap, their limbs intertwined. It was then that Mr. Mustache's ridiculous disguise had come off, revealing a large blue arrow on his shiny, bald head.

"MY CABBAGES!" The cart owner screeched, and I recognized it to be the same scream from earlier.

_Must be a rough day in the cabbage business._

I stared intently at the blue arrow on the smaller boy's forehead. I noticed the same marking on his hands, and I wondered what it could possibly mean.

I gasped when I saw guards surrounding the three, and quickly crouched deeper into the safety of the shadows. The guards forcefully grabbed the kids and hauled them off to the castle.

I glanced up at the setting sun.

_Oh hell no._ I thought rebelliously. _I'm getting my money._

_Even if it means I'll have to wait all night._


	4. Waiting

**TEREZI'S POV**

_Waiting sucks._

I stared at the horizon listlessly, my eyelids feeling heavy.

The sun had long since set, and the moon was shining proudly in the wee hours of the night. However, there were no stars. The sky was an inky black void that seemed to swallow up dreams instead of encourage them. In fact, I don't think there have been stars for a long while. Ever since the Fire Nation attacked, even the sky has lost its bright beauty.

I sighed sadly.

I was trying my hardest to stay awake, but my eyelids just kept getting heavier and heavier. . .

I woke to a sound that I could only describe as a horde of woolly mammoths collectively yawning.

My head jerked up, and a string of drool connected my mouth to my hand. I wiped it away quickly, looking around myself wildly. I blinked in the morning sun beaming down on me. When my eyes adjusted, I heard my own sharp intake of breath.

A _flying _bison.

Now I've seen it all.

It landed in front of me, a huge puff of dust appearing beneath him. I've gotta say. . . it was absolutely massive. It had six legs and a long tail. Strangely, I wasn't scared of this enormous creature. He didn't seem hostile - he was looking on me with equal curiosity if anything. He had a saddle on his huge back, and I saw some huge bags sitting comfortably on it.

It had the same arrow marking on its head as the earthbender boy inside the castle. _Was this his bison?_

My eyes glinted with excitement. _I bet there's a bunch of valuables stowed on that thing!_

I approached it slowly, my hands held out in peace. "Good boy. That's a good boy."

He snorted air out of his nostrils, but didn't move.

"Yeah," I grinned. "Yeah, that's a good boy."

I touched his fur tentatively, and I swear he lifted his eyebrows at me in way that was almost expectant. I scratched him, and he snorted happily, his tail wagging. Just when he was getting excited, I leapt into the air and landed on his back.

I wobbled slightly at first until I got my bearings. Immediately, I dove for the bags. They were huge and probably held so much stuff! I tittered with excitement. My curiosity spilled out like a pot of tea over boiling, and I yanked the zipper back on the nearest bag.

My face fell.

It was empty.

"W-what?" I whispered, zipping and unzipping the bag over and over again.

I shook my head violently, grabbing the next bag and ripping it open. "No. This can't be!"

I went through every bag again and again, only to find the same results. Nothing. There was nothing here. I laid down on my back dejectedly, staring up in the orange-stained sky. The clouds passed above me slowly as my mind worked.

I sat up suddenly. "They probably just took all their stuff in!" I exclaimed.

"That's stupid." I muttered to myself. "They would've took the bags, too."

I slumped back down onto the saddle, defeated. I looked lazily at the furry beast's large horns and saw reins attached to them. If I could figure out how to steer and operate this giant creature, then it could very well be my ticket out of this city. I could travel the world - perhaps become a famous master thief or something extravagant like that. Anything for an adventure.

Grinning, I rose to grab the reins when I heard laughter fill the air.

I froze.

Peering over the side of the enormous saddle, my eyes widened.

The three kids were finally emerging from the castle along with King Bumi wearing one of his many ridiculous outfits.

"Thanks again, Bumi." The bald boy addressed the king like he was an old friend.

"No problem, Aang," King Bumi replied. "You've got good friends with you."

The flying bison I was currently trying to be a covert ninja on suddenly did his strange roar-moan-bark-purr thing. The people below looked up to where he rested on the roof. From what I could tell, they hadn't spotted me yet. But if they came closer, they definitely would.

"And Appa." King Bumi added, and the group laughed lightheartedly once again.

The bald boy cheered and leapt an unnatural height into the air. He lifted his cane, and to my astonishment red fans popped out. He soared in the sky, quickly scaling the castle.

My heart stopped.

He was heading this way.

I panicked. My hands shook as I tried to figure out what to do.

Then I spotted the empty bags stowed at the back of the saddle.

And in that moment I made a split-second decision.

I stuffed myself into the nearest bag and silently zipped it up.


	5. Hiding

**TEREZI'S POV**

I heard people boarding 'Appa' the flying bison, and I forced myself to stay calm. Then I felt my stomach lurch in an upward pull and realized we were flying.

Being stuffed inside a sack is not fun. I do not recommend it.

It was hot, and the air was dry and stale. It smelled like. . . seals? I'm not entirely sure, but it wasn't pleasant. It was very cramped, but it was a miracle that I'd fit inside in the first place - I was thankful for my small size. It was so dark I couldn't tell whether my eyes were open or closed. I wondered where we were going, but I knew there was no safe way for me to find out. I wracked my brain to think of a brilliant escape plan.

I could hear the voices of the three very clearly from where I hid, and I decided to get a listen in.

"Sokka, calm down!" The girl was saying. "We'll get there soon."

"Katara's right, Sokka." The bald boy's voice rang through. "Appa will get us there in no time at all!"

"Not judging by this map!" I recognized this to be the Water Tribe boy. "It says here we won't be at the Northern Water Tribe for a few days!"

"Then we'll just have to stop somewhere on the way." The girl, Katara, soothed. "There's no rush."

"Yeah, Sokka." Whom I presumed was Aang added. "Be like us airbenders. _Chill_."

_Airbenders?! But weren't they all long gone? Unless. . . the rumors I've been hearing are true. But then that could only mean Aang was the-_

"Avatar knows best," Sokka sighed in defeat.

I had to cover my mouth to keep from gasping in shock. _The _Avatar was actually here. He could restore balance to the world and defeat Fire Lord Ozai. We would finally be safe from the Fire Nation. We would finally be at peace.

The three kids fell into silence, and the only sound I heard was the rush of the wind around us.

It was so dark and with the weightless feeling of flying, I had no way of knowing how much time was passing. It could have been minutes, and it could have been hours. The gentle swaying motions of the flying bison lulled me, and before I knew it, I had drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

I woke up to some sort of chittering noise. A beam of bright orange light momentarily blinded me, and for a horrifying moment I thought my hiding spot had been discovered.

When my eyes adjusted, I realized that a tiny hole was cut into the bag. A large green eye stared at me curiously. The eye backed up to reveal a small winged lemur's body. It must've cut into the hole while I was sleeping, and it stared at me intently. I put a finger to my lips, begging for silence and prayed that the small mammal understood.

The winged lemur flew off, and through the minuscule hole I could see the three kids riding comfortably. They sky was bathed in a shining yellow light, and I figured it was late in the afternoon. We'd been flying for hours.

"We should land soon," I heard Aang say suddenly. "Appa's getting tired."

"There's a small strip of land just up here." Sokka instructed, looking down at a map. "We can stop there."

_I might be able to make my escape then. I could-_

My stomach growled.

I mentally screamed and pulled myself into a tight ball, trying to suffocate the blaring sound.

"Katara, was that you?" Sokka wondered.

"No," she replied, equally confused. "Aang?"

From where I sat I saw him shake his head, and Katara continued. "Well who was it then?"

There was an extremely long pause, and my heart pounded. It was so silent I heard my terrified blood pumping in my ears. Sweat pooled on my face, and I wondered if it was from the heat of the bag or my sudden fear.

Despite my best efforts, my stomach roared once more.

"There it is again!" Aang exclaimed.

"Yeah, I heard it, too." Sokka said. "It sounded like it was coming from one of the bags."

My curled up body trembled, and I shut my eyes tightly. I heard shuffling, and I knew they were moving closer to me. Strategies and worst-case scenarios passed through my mind briefly. I prayed to every spirit I knew that they wouldn't find me.

"Hey, why does this bag look so big?" Katara asked, kneeling in front of me. "Did one of you guys put something in here?"

She grabbed the zipper and pulled.

_Lousy goddamn stupid spirits!_


	6. Discoveries

**TEREZI'S POV**

"What the-?!" Katara gasped and leapt back.

I sat up and laughed nervously. "Surprise?"

"You!" Sokka cried.

"Her?" Katara and Aang gasped in unison.

"Me." I murmured.

"Wait, wait, wait _stop_!" Katara exclaimed, holding her hands in the air. She turned to Sokka. "You know her?"

"She's the one who gave me _this_!" He cried, jutting his thumb at his chin. It was then that I saw the darkened, bruised flesh.

"Yeah, sorry about that," I started, going for the weak, apologetic look. They weren't buying it.

"What do you want?" Sokka demanded, the other two giving me dangerous looks. "How did you get here?"

"Easy there!" I held up my hands in defense, slowly stepping out of the bag. I scanned my surroundings as I spoke, trying to formulate a plan.

"See, I saw this here bison," I began, slowly stepping away from the trio, "and well, he looked like he needed . . . help."

Katara crossed her arms skeptically. "Help? What kind of help?"

"Well, he had a thorn in his side, and I just came here to," I made a popping noise with my mouth, "pluck it out."

"Oh yeah?" Sokka still wasn't convinced. "Then where's the thorn?"

I rolled my eyes and scoffed. "Do you really think I'd take something like that and keep it?"

"Well you are a thief." He spat. "Taking things is your specialty."

I smiled sweetly. "How's that chin?"

He growled, but Katara held his arm and pulled him back. The three of them got in a little huddle like they were talking about something privately. After a brief meeting, they broke apart and addressed me.

"Alright, we can't just toss you off Appa." Aang said.

"But when we land, we're reporting you to the authorities." Sokka said, a little too happily for my tastes.

"In the meantime we're going to tie you up so you can't attack us." Katara said.

"Or steal!" Sokka added.

My first instinct was to protest, but the wiser side of me thought better of it. I'd play their little game. _For now_.

I complied willingly, and Katara bound my hands behind my back with rope. They put me at the back of the saddle, and Sokka sat across from me, watching me with keen eyes. After a few minutes I felt us descending, and looked about my surroundings inquisitively.

We landed in a forest filled with tall trees, and my eyes widened. I'd never seen so many trees before. Omashu was all stone. Various animal sounds reverberated through the green forest, and the air smelled of fresh water.

Sokka grabbed me by my restraints and hauled me to my feet. "Come on, prisoner."

I smirked. "Prisoner? Ooh, we've already got nicknames for each other. I can tell this is going to be a good friendship!"

He said nothing, silently towing me off the flying bison.

He pushed me into a sitting position on a stone. "Stay here."

I nodded. "Yes, sir, Mr. Warden, sir!"

He met with Aang and Katara a few feet away from me, and they conversed just out of earshot. I took the opportunity to All I needed was an opening when nobody was looking, and I was home free. The only question was where I would go. I looked around myself, trying to gauge which way was civilization if any.

"Hey, thief!"

I turned back to the group sourly. "You know, I have a name."

"You know, I don't care." Sokka retorted before turning back to his friends. "I'm going to go see if I can gather some food. Keep an eye on her."

He ran off, and the other two looked at me briefly before turning and having their own conversation on the soft grass.

_Well that didn't take long. Escape plan is a go._

"Hey, Mr. Avatar!" I called. "Hey, come here for a sec!"

Aang and Katara exchanged a look before rising and making their way towards me. Aang stuck his chin out and crossed his arms, trying to act tough. This would be easier than I thought.

"What?"

"Nah, man, chill. I'm not gonna do anything." I smiled. "I just wanted to get a look at the great Avatar. I mean, everyone's been talking about you. You're like. . . the Messiah or something."

His eyes glinted, and he dropped the tough guy act. "Messiah?"

I nodded feverishly. "Yeah, man! You're like Kung-Fu Action Jesus!"

"Wow, cool!" He grinned. "You hear that, Katara? I'm Kung-Fu Action Jesus!"

She smiled at him in a motherly way.

"Uh, so yeah," I continued. "Come here, Messiah. Can I get a look at your arrow?"

He considered this for a brief second before shrugging his shoulders lightheartedly. "Sure!" He stepped a bit closer.

"Aww come on J-dog!" I said. "I can't see when you're all the way over there! Come _here!"_

He positioned himself right in front of me now.

"Yeah!" I enthused. "Much better!"

I made a big show of how restricting my bindings were, huffing in frustration. "Oh, but wait. I can barely move. If only I could get these ropes loosened."

"I don't know," Katara said wearily. "Sokka said we shouldn't. . ."

"Oh phooey to Sokka!" I exclaimed. "I won't do anything bad! I just wanted to see Aang's arrow up close and personal. Pretty please?" I gave her the best puppy dog face I could muster.

Finally she gave in. "Well alright - but only for a little while." She said as she untied my restraints.

I nodded furiously. "Of course, of course. You're too kind."

When she freed me, I rubbed my wrists dramatically before speaking again. "Alright, Aang, let me see that amazing arrow."

He leaned forward, and I gingerly placed my hands on his forehead. I traced the design with my fingertips, slowly moving my hands to the back of his neck.

"It's pretty cool, right?" He asked, but I only heard him vaguely.

My hands were in just the right spot.

_I could do it. _I thought darkly._ I could take his bending right now. He'd be immobile. I could even knock him unconscious. I bet. . . I bet I could kill him right now if I wanted to. He was at my mercy. And he didn't even know it. _

I looked down into his bright, happy eyes.

_I couldn't do it._

My hands dropped back down.

"Yeah, I know it's pretty cool." Aang said, stepping back.

Before I could respond, an incredible _boom _rumbled the earth.

I hopped up. "What was that?"

I heard the sound of footsteps and looked around wildly.

Sokka was running up to us carrying a tiny bag barely filled with nuts. "What did you do?!" He yelped.

"I didn't _do _anything!" I snapped.

He blinked, as if just realizing something. "Why aren't you tied up?"

"Where's our food?"

"Here!" He held up the tiny bag and proceeded to pull out various shapes of nuts.

I put my hands on my hips. "Really?"

Another thundering smash rippled across the land.

Aang pointed eastward. "It's coming from over there! Come on!"

Katara, Aang, and I immediately took off.

Sokka stood standing there,waving his arms frantically. "Shouldn't we run _away _from huge booms, not toward them?!"

"Aww is Mr. Warden feeling scared?" I goaded. "If you want, I can hold your hand-"

"Shut up!" He fumed, and sprinted after us.


	7. Haru

**TEREZI'S POV**

We ran up to a fallen tree and peered over the side of it. Sokka didn't look too pleased, which only made me smirk with satisfaction. Just passed our tree barricade was a boy.

He looked about our age and had pretty long hair for a guy. He wore the earth tones green and tan, and had brown skin. And he was earthbending.

I've always been just a tad bit envious of benders. I mean, how could I not? It was an amazing gift, and it could be used in so many ways.

The earthbender boy lifted another rock and sent it slamming into the rock wall adjacent to him.

"An earthbender," Katara breathed.

"Let's go meet him!" Aang exclaimed.

"He looks dangerous," Sokka determined. "We better approach cautiously."

"Hello there! I'm Katara! What's your name?"

I looked up to see Katara had run out into the open to greet the stranger. I grinned and immediately followed suit.

The earthbender boy turned around and froze, dropping the boulder he had been bending. A look of fear passed over his face, and he turned to flee.

"Hey, wait!" I called after him, but the boy didn't slow down. He pulled down his hands and created a landslide of rocks to blocks us from pursuing him.

I put my hands on my hips. "Well, that was rude."

Aang and Sokka walked up to where we were standing.

"Nice to meet you!" Aang screamed after the boy, but I doubted he heard - or cared.

"I just wanted to say hi." Katara muttered.

"Well, how about we follow him?" I suggested. "I mean, he's gotta be running _somewhere_."

"Yeah!" Aang agreed. "Maybe we're near a village! And I bet that village has a market!"

"Which means no nuts for dinner!" Katara exclaimed. She turned to me. "Great idea!" Her and Aang took off after the earthbender boy.

"Hey!" Sokka called after them. "Don't agree with the prisoner! She's supposed to be the bad guy!"

I raised an eyebrow. "And I thought you were supposed to be the smart one."

His nostrils flared. "I am the smart one!"

I laughed and ran after Katara and Aang, Sokka reluctantly jumping on the bandwagon.

"And don't disrespect my nuts!" He chirped.

I had to resist commenting on how perverted that sounded, which was a lot harder than it may seem.

**ONE UNEVENTFUL TREK LATER**

We arrived at the village, and there was indeed a market. It was nowhere near the hustle and bustle of Omashu, but there were cute little food carts and stalls where old people displayed their wares. My stomach grumbled suddenly, and I remembered how famished I was.

_And hell if I'm eating wild nuts for dinner!_

The winged lemur - whose name I believed to be Momo - swooped by and perched on a nearby food cart, staring at me curiously. I carefully slipped away from the crowd, moving towards the food cart in question. There was a man standing behind it, his tall form towering over my own.

I smirked.

_That doesn't change things._

I smiled sweetly. "Hi!"

He looked down on me with minimal interest. "Hello. Would you like some-"

"Momo!" I cried, putting my hands on my hips. "Momo get down from there!"

The large man craned his neck to look up at the furry creature. "Huh?"

"He really shouldn't be up there." I explained, my voice suddenly sad and broken. "See, he's fractured a wing bone. He shouldn't be up on any high places."

"Oh my," The strongman cooed.

I swept my hands in front of me, my large sleeves billowing. "Here, let me just get him down." I grabbed the soft little lemur in my hands and held him affectionately, stroking his fur lovingly.

"He's my best friend," I lied. "I don't know what I'd do without him." Momo chittered in disagreement, and I quickly put my hand over his face.

"Oh, well, look at the time." I rushed. "We should be going. It was nice meeting you! Bye!" I hurried off, trying my best to hide the smirk forming on my lips as I headed to rejoin the group.

I saw Katara disappear into a building and quickly ducked in after her.

My pupils dilated in the dim light of the shop. Barrels, sandbags, and painted pottery lay haphazardly along the walls. At the back of the shop was a large counter where a middle aged woman stood. She was conversing with a semi-familiar face - the earthbending boy we practically stalked here.

"Hey," Katara said. "You're that kid."

He turned around and gasped when he saw us.

"Why did you run away before?" I asked.

"Uh, you must have me confused with some other kid." The boy denied.

"No she doesn't," I turned around to see Aang and Sokka entering the ship as well. "We saw you earthbending!"

The boy's eyes widened, and he looked like he'd just tried to swallow a coin. The older woman gasped, and hastily shut the doors and windows.

"They saw you doing what?!" She cried.

"They're crazy, Mom!" The boy exclaimed. "I mean, look at how they're dressed."

We all looked down at our clothes in confusion.

My nostrils flared. "I know you ain't talking! Somebody needs to introduce you to some hair clippers - you ain't cute!"

"You know how dangerous bending is, Haru!" The boy's mother said. "You know what would happen if _they _caught you earthbending."

A sudden pounding on the door interrupted, making us all jump. Sokka went to the window and peeked through the blinds.

He gasped. "Fire Nation! Act natural!"


	8. A Change Of Heart?

**TEREZI'S POV**

We all scurried around, trying to figure out what to do. Aang posed next to a barrel. Katara grabbed a bowl of cherries and stuffed a handful in her mouth. I grabbed an intricately designed clay bowl and pretended to examine it. Haru and Sokka froze in place, posing like they were making a deal over a shoe. Haru's mother opened the door.

A Fire Nation soldier entered the shop, scanning his surroundings. Just by seeing the Fire Nation uniform, a fierce anger burned in my belly.

"What do you want?" Haru's mother demanded. "I've already paid you this week!"

"The tax just doubled." He swirled his hands, and a blazing ball of fire formed from his fingertips. "We wouldn't want an accident, now would we?"

Everyone backed away from the heat. "Fire," he continued, "is sometimes so hard to control." He clasped his hands together and snuffed out the flames.

I placed the ceramic bowl I was holding back on the shelf and clenched my fists. "That's not fair! You can't just threaten these people!"

"Oh?" the Fire Nation soldier said. "Can't I? We have the power, so we get the control."

Haru's mother went behind the counter and retrieved a box, barely containing any coins. I glared at Haru as his mother handed over all the money in the box.

_You're not going to do anything? _I mouthed pointedly. He said nothing, staring angrily at the wall.

The Fire Nation soldier counted the money as he left. He threw a few coins over his shoulder. "You can keep the copper ones." He slammed the door on his way out as Haru's mother bent down on the floor to pick up the dropped coins.

"Nice guy," Sokka muttered. "How long has the Fire Nation been here?"

"Five years," Haru's mother stated. "Fire Lord Ozai uses our town's coal mines to fuel his ships."

"They're thugs," Haru spat. "They steal from us, and everyone here is too much of a coward to do anything about it."

"Well you sure didn't do anything," I said. "You could have beat him to a pulp just then. But you sat back and watched. You're as much at fault as anyone else."

He looked down and said nothing.

"Haru, you're an earthbender." Katara said. "You can help."

"Earthbending is forbidden," Haru's mother said. "It's caused nothing but misery for this village. He must never use his abilities."

I gasped. "What?! How can you say that? Bending is a gift."

"It's a part of who he is," Katara said, "just like my waterbending."

Haru's mother shook her head. "You don't understand."

"Haru can help you fight back against the Fire Nation!" I said.

Katara nodded. "What can they do to you that they haven't done already?"

"They could take Haru away!" His mother cried. "Like they took his father."

I fell silent at that.

"Come on, guys." Sokka murmured. "Let's go."

**HOURS LATER**

I sighed. I was getting tired of walking around. We'd been in every shop at least twice. Katara had slipped away to go talk to Haru a while ago. Sokka had tied my hands up again.

I was back at Square One.

We stepped into the shop owned by Haru's mother fir the fourth time, and I looked up in surprise to see Katara talking to Haru.

"Hey, you're back!" Aang exclaimed.

Katara smiled. "Haru's mother said we could sleep in their barn for the night."

"Come on, I'll show you." Haru said and led us out the back door.

The barn was huge and shaped like a dome. Haru opened the barn door, revealing Appa the flying bison already nestled comfortably in the space. He huffed when he saw us - perhaps a greeting? - then promptly laid his large furry head down to sleep.

"Thanks, Haru." Aang said. "This is great."

"Sure thing. Good night." And that was all he said before handing Katara a lantern and leaving.

We entered the barn, and the trio quickly set to making camp. Sokka and Katara pulled out thick Water Tribe sleeping bags that looked all sorts of warm. Aang just airbended his way up onto Appa's fuzzy head, Momo flying up to the comfy perch as well.

"Hey, so um, am I gonna have to keep this rope on all night or what?" I asked, sitting down near the lantern's flickering orange light.

"Well of course!" Sokka exclaimed. "We don't want you bending in the middle of the night so you can _kill us!_"

"I'm a non-bender." I rolled my eyes. "And besides, my hands were untied for hours earlier. If I could bend, I could have killed you then if I wanted to."

"She has a point." Aang said.

"Wait, so you're a non-bender?" Katara asked incredulously.

I nodded, my face semi-illuminated by the lantern.

"Then why did you say all that stuff about bending back at Haru's store?" Sokka asked, and for the first time his words towards me held no hostility.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Because it's true. Bending is a gift, and no one should be able to take that away from you." I looked into my lap. "No one."

A chilly silence fell upon us, the only sound that could be heard was Sokka and Katara's sleeping bags being made and the wind.

I looked up. "How come you guys haven't took me to the police yet?"

Sokka looked up from his fur folding. "What?"

"I mean, the Fire Nation was right there." I said. "You could have handed me off any time. But you didn't."

The boy pondered this, his blue eyes glowing in the dim light of the lantern. Finally, he spoke.

"It's just like you said - you could have attacked us at any time. For a petty thief. . . there must be _some _good in you."

My eyebrows went up. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I think you just made a mistake."

"And plus, you were sticking up for Haru and his mom when that Fire Nation soldier came!" Aang chimed in.

Katara snapped her fingers. "Oh that reminds me! I've gotta tell you guys what Haru did earlier!"

She sat up straighter before continuing. "We were out walking when we heard someone calling for a help. We ran towards the sound, and there was an old man stuck under a rock slide. We tried pulling him free, but he wouldn't budge. I begged Haru to earthbend, and he finally did! He saved that old man! It was amazing!"

"Wow, you must have really inspired him!" Aang exclaimed.

"I guess so." She said.

"Everyone should get some sleep, we're leaving at dawn." Sokka said and slipped into his sleeping bag.

"Dawn?!" I cried.

"Can't we sleep in for once?" Katara pleaded.

"Absolutely not!" Sokka said immediately. "This village is crawling with Fire Nation troops. If they discover you're here, Aang, we'll be eating fireballs for breakfast. Good night."

"I'd rather have fireballs for breakfast than nuts." I muttered.

"Good night!" Sokka snapped.

Katara and Aang laughed. I slipped underneath Appa's warm, furry tail before Katara blew out the lantern.

I woke to a huge gust of wind slapping me in the face. When my brain caught up to the res of my body, I realized Appa's tail was whipping up and down. Groggily, I rolled out of the way of his fanning session.

I blinked in the early morning sun spilling in from the open window. Aang and Sokka were busy rolling up their mats.

Aang looked up and saw me. "Oh you're up!"

My hands were still tied, making getting up more difficult than necessary. I curled my body into an egg and rocked backwards before springing up to my feet.

I turned around and held out my bound arms. "If you wouldn't mind. . ."

"I got it." I heard Sokka say. I felt his hands on my wrists untying the rope binding my hands together. When they were free, I rubbed my wrists gingerly. They were red and raw, but finally free nonetheless.

"Thanks," I murmured, still rubbing the sensitive flesh.

"Here let me see," he said and carefully took my hands, inspecting the reddened tissue. His blue eyes narrowed as he examined my wrists.

Suddenly, the barn door burst open. Katara's silhouette stood against the blinding morning light.

"They took him! They took Haru away!"


	9. Captured

**TEREZI'S POV**

"What?" I asked.

"The old man turned him in to the Fire Nation," she cried, her words flowing out of her mouth like a rushing river. "It's all my fault, I forced him into earthbending!"

"Slow down, Katara." Sokka said, grasping her hand comfortingly. "When did this happen?"

Katara took a deep breath before continuing. "Haru's mother said they came for him at midnight."

"Then it's too late to track him. He's long gone."

"We don't need to track him," Katara said firmly. "The Fire Nation's going to take me right to Haru."

I furrowed my brow. "And why would they do that?"

"Because they're going to arrest me for earthbending."

Sokka, Aang, and I exchanged glances.

Sokka and Katara rolled two huge boulders over a vent on the ground. Aang sat leisurely by another vent a few feet away.

"I thought you were crazy at first, Katara, but this might work." Sokka said. "There are ventilation shafts all throughout these mines. All Aang has to do is send an air current from that vent to the one over here. The boulder levitates and _ta-da_ fake earthbending!"

"Aang, did you get all that?" Katara asked.

"Sure, sure, I got it" He murmured, busy sending small blasts of air at a butterfly.

Sokka put his hands on his hips."Do you remember your cue?"

"Yeah, yeah, just relax." He muttered. "You're taking all the fun out of this."

"By _this _do you mean intentionally being captured by a band of ruthless firebenders?"

"Exactly," he grinned. "That's fun stuff!"

"Alright, does everyone know the plan?" I asked, and everyone nodded. "Then let's go."

I immediately took off, running at tip-top speed back to the village. The trees whizzed by me as I fled. My part of the mission was simple: locate the Fire Nation troops and report an earthbender.

In no time I had made it back to the small market in the heart of the village. I quickly spotted a group of Fire Nation soldiers harassing an old man. They pushed him around and knocked his little old man cane out of his little old man hands. He fell to the ground in a puff of dust.

I jumped in the middle of their circle, putting my body in front of the old man protectively.

"Earthbenders!" I cried. "There are earthbenders up there!"

They looked around wildly, and I saw something more than surprise in their eyes. Fear. They feared the earthbenders.

"Where?!" one of the firebenders asked.

I pointed towards the way I'd come. "That way! Up the hill!"

The all took off, and I watched as their pointed spears disappeared over the rise before helping the old man up.

"Are you alright?" I asked as I handed him his cane.

He snatched it out of my hands and glared at me. "How dare you?! How dare you turn in one of my people?!" He hobbled off, muttering angry curses under his breath.

I folded my arms and headed back up towards the others. "Yeah well, I stole your money, you old coot!"

I made it back up the hill, but it was too late.

Sokka and Aang stood alone at the entrance to the barn, their faces stony.

"So what now?" I asked.

"Now we wait," Sokka muttered, "and we hope for the best."


	10. A Little Late

**TEREZI'S POV**

_Did I mention I hate waiting? Because I do. Like, a lot._

I looked up at the sun, the burning star now high in the sky. My stomach grumbled lowly.

Sokka chuckled. "Come on, we should head to town and get something to eat."

I pulled out the stolen bag of coins and smirked. "Breakfast is on me!"

"You stole again?!" Aang cried.

"No, this guy was asking for it!" I exclaimed, and proceeded to tell them the tale.

"But still," Sokka shook his head. "Stealing is wrong."

I shrugged. "Do you want to eat free or not?"

"Yes please!" Sokka and Aang chirped in unison.

I laughed and we made our way towards the marketplace.

**SOME TIME LATER**

We sat in the shade of a large tree on the outskirts of town. It turns out that old man was loaded - or at least by poor people standards. With his money we were able to have a good sized lunch. Baskets of fruits, vegetables, bread, and meats laid out in front of us.

"Thanks for buying us food!" Sokka said between bites. He and Aang were scarfing down the food faster than I could blink.

I laughed. "Thanks for not handing me over to the Fire Nation."

Aang looked at me with a strange expression. "Hey, we don't even know your name!"

"Oh yeah!" Sokka looked at me. "None of us really formally introduced ourselves to you."

Aang held out his hand. "I'm Aang, the Avatar."

I laughed and shook it. "Nice to meet you, Avatar Aang."

Sokka grabbed my other hand. "And I'm Sokka, the greatest person you'll ever meet."

I snorted. "Sure you are."

I took a bite of a shiny red apple. But for some reason I felt guilty eating so well. All I could think about was Katara.

I gulped. "We should go check on Katara."

"Check on her?" Sokka scoffed. "She's not at the _hospital_, we can't just pop in and check on her! That place is crawling with Fire Nation troops. If even _one _of them spots Appa, we'll be shot out of the sky."

Aang looked up. "But it's cloudy today. What if we stay in the clouds?"

Sokka sighed. "Guys, I really appreciate your worrying, but we need to trust Katara. She knows what she's doing."

Aang and I exchanged a glance.

"Alright, fine!" Sokka finally gave in. "After this, we'll go 'check on her'."

Aang and I cheered, high-fiving each other in victory.

**SOME TIME LATER**

I peered over Appa's saddle and looked down upon the rig. It was massive. I'd never seen so much metal in one place. A thick black column of billowing smog came from it, and I guessed that to be the burning of the village's coal. The rig was far out in the middle of the ocean, and it had taken us till sunset to find it.

I thumped Sokka on the forehead. "I told you we should have left sooner."

"Ow! Don't thump me!" He cried. "And Katara still has a few more hours. For all we know, she could have already found Haru by now."

"Let's hope so," I muttered as I watched the smog disappear into the sky. "Let's hope so."


	11. Breakout

**TEREZI'S POV**

Nightfall.

Darkness enveloped everything, reaching even into the deepest cracks of the world. Appa glided soundlessly in the skies, hovering near the Fire Nation ship.

"I'll go," I said immediately when Appa pulled up.

Aang furrowed his eyebrows. "But-"

"Don't worry, I won't get caught. I'll be up and through there before you guys can blink."

Sokka didn't seem convinced. "I don't think we should just rush into-"

His words were swallowed into the night as I made a daring leap off of the flying bison. My feet hit the steel ground with virtually no sound at all. I glanced back into the sky and saw both of the boys flailing their arms wildly. Their faces displayed silent screams as they pleaded with me to return.

Snickering, I saluted to them and sped off.

This place was ridiculously huge. I sprinted off into the darkness having no idea where to go. I turned blindly and spotted a couple guards just ahead. Ducking behind a crate, I tuned into their conversation.

". . . yeah, I don't even see why we have to guard these filthy benders," One of them was saying.

"I know," the other agreed. "Almost all of these maggots are senior citizens - they need all the rest they can get. I don't know why we're forced to guard them while they sleep."

My eyes widened. _Katara._

My fists clenched as a plan wormed its way into my brain. I reached into my long, billowing sleeve and pulled out a glittering blue bead. I'd stolen it long ago believing it to be of some great value, but in actuality it was just useless junk. I'm not sure why I had kept it, but I'm glad I did.

I chucked the small bead far in the opposite direction. As expected it clattered loudly against the cold steel floor. The guards perked up. They glanced at each other once before nodding and heading off to the source of the sound.

When they rounded the corner I darted to the wooden door they had been guarding. It was locked, but that petty thing was no match for a master thief like me. Within seconds the door was unlocked, and I was scanning the many sleeping bodies for Katara.

I spotted her form quickly, her chest rising and falling rhythmically. She had on some hideous brown potato skin sack that smelled of rotten cheese and urine. I wrinkled my nose in disgust as I jostled her awake.

Her blue eyes widened. "Hey, it's you-"

"Shh!" I hissed and grabbed her hand, whisking her away.

We ran as fast as we could away, and I tried my best to remember which way I'd come. I cringed at Katara's heavy footfall, praying to the spirits she didn't lead the firebenders to us. I was thankful, however for her urgency as she followed behind me, mute.

I pulled her out into the open, and the night sky expanded above us. Appa flew from behind a wispy cloud up to us, his movements bringing forth a small rush of air to our faces. Aang and Sokka barely waited for the bison to come to a complete stop before hopping off.

"Katara!" they whisper-yelled in unison.

"Hush!" I looked around wildly, fearing a Fire Nation squadron would be upon us at any moment.

Sokka hugged his sister tightly. "Let's not get captured again anymore, okay?"

She bit her lip and looked away. "I. . . I have to go back."

"Pardon?!" I squeaked. "I didn't even get a 'thank you' for bringing you out of that_ metal death trap_, and you wanna jump right back in?!"

She rubbed her arm lightly. "Th-thank you. . ." she trailed off.

"Terezi," I held out my hand, "the chick who just saved your life."

She shook my hand, and apparently Sokka took this opportunity to absolutely freak the hell out on me.

"Terezi!" He snapped. "You can't just run off like that! What if you had gotten captured, too?"

I folded my arms and rolled my eyes. "Ah, yes, how ever would you get free food if _that _happened?"

Sokka growled agitatedly, but Aang spoke quickly.

"Katara, why do you need to go back there?"

She sighed. "Those people. . . they're so broken. They need someone to believe in. I can't leave them."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting a prison break?" She nodded once, and I smirked slyly. "That could be fun."

Sokka looked from me to Katara and back again before sighing. "If we're gonna do this, we need a plan."

I sat down on the cold metal ground. "And we all know you're _so _very good with those."


End file.
